News

A raft of measures have been launched by the Scottish executive to help stem the rising tide of suicides which have almost doubled in the last 30 years.

The plan of action, Framework for the Prevention of Suicide and Self-harm, was launched by Malcolm Chisholm, deputy minister for community care. It is part of the executive’s response to suicide rates which have increased by 75 per cent for men in the last 30 years, particularly young men aged under 35 years. Rates for suicide among men are now three times higher than for women.

The framework calls on social care and health statutory and voluntary organisations to tackle stigma about mental health issues. The executive will also appoint local 'champions' to develop preventive multi-agency action plans and carry out a review of all care settings to make them a safe environment for those with potential for suicide.

The plan will also tackle self-harm. Chisholm said: "The problem is wider than just suicide for young men. There are also around 10,000 admissions to hospital each year for people who deliberately harm themselves, and it is women who are in the majority."

Professor Stephen Platt, director of the research unit in health and behaviour change at Edinburgh University, said that it was rare for suicide to occur in the absence of mental health problems of some sort. In terms of the rapid increase in suicide among young men, Platt attributed this to the changes in the family, increased divorce rates and later marriages. Platt added: "Some researchers believe these changes can account for the rise in deaths among young men, particularly those vulnerable from being divorced or not being married."

www.scotland.gov.uk